Movie Deja Vu

Connie Chen

Everyone is drawn to the movies for a different reason, be it the romance, the action, the drama, the comedy or just the outrageously attractive actors. However, now a new category can be added to those genres, and that category is known as remakes. Think about it. “Titanic”, “Spiderman”, “The Lion King”, “Snow White”. What do all of these movies have in common? They are all treasured movies released long ago that have been turned into a 3-D experience or have been released with an altered storyline.

Nowadays, Hollywood seems to think that a movie people flocked to the theaters for years ago will attract the same amount or even more attention if they give people special glasses to wear or use different actors and a somewhat new storyline. Needless to say, they may be right!

As soon as it was discovered that the 1997 movie “Titanic” would be coming out in theaters in 3-D, the buzz and anticipation immediately began. Everyone was eager to once again experience the tragic love story between Jack and Rose. Recreate a beloved film using modern day’s incredible technology and earn even more money? Why not?

When I discovered the story of Snow White, originally created by Disney in 1937, was being turned into two films, my first thought was, Really? They’re really putting out two movies with the same storyline and they’re really coming out within months of each other? Regardless of the contrasting tones of the two films (“Snow White and the Huntsman” is an action-flick while “Mirror, Mirror” plays on light comedy), it makes me wonder if Hollywood is quickly running out of creative, original ideas and what movies are going to be like come 10, 15 years from now.

Perhaps Hollywood has become safer and more money-oriented, even more so than they already were, because they know, based on previous experience, that certain films garner attention no matter what. Since releasing the original 1994 “The Lion King” into theaters was a preposterous idea, they made it 3-D so people could experience Simba’s story up close and personal. However, I have to admit, if any movie should be remade in 3-D, Disney movies, with their precious stories, have the best excuse.

The Spiderman trilogy starring Toby Maguire was adored by fans of all kinds, from comic-book fans to action-hero lovers, so it’s natural for some to be skeptical about the upcoming “The Amazing Spiderman” featuring “The Social Network’s” Andrew Garfield and fantastically funny Emma Stone. The film is supposed to be an original story-line about orphan Peter Parker and love-interest Gwen Stacy, instead of Mary Jane from the original trilogy. No matter how skeptical people may seem, the only way to make a decision would be to go and watch the movie, and that’s exactly what’s going to happen come July. Maybe this will be an excellent remake, but either way, Hollywood has done its job of creating movies people will want to see.

In general, people like to stick with what they know, so if they find out a movie they love has been remade, whether it’s just in 3-D or if it’s featuring completely different actors, chances are they’re going to go check it out and maybe end up loving it. I know I’m anticipating the release of some so-called “remakes,” so who am I to judge? Even if Hollywood has recently been lacking original ideas, they still have the resources and talented entertainers to create movies that people want to see. Who knows, maybe “remakes” will one day become its own movie genre.